Rotary cylindrical splitter and planer head



Sept. 21, 1948. G. P. KELTON' 2,449,605

ROTARY CYLINDRICAL SPLITTE R AND PLANER HEAD Filed Oct. 12, 1946 2 sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 0/1. 55m 7- P. KEL ro/v ATTORNEY Sept 21, 1948. v G. P. KELTON W 2,449,605-

ROTARY CYLINDRICAL SPLITTER AND PLANER HEAD Filed Oct. 12, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT GILBERT P. KELT ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1948 oFFicE- ROTARY CYLINDRIGAL SPLITTER AND PLANER HEAD Gilbert P. Kelton, Dorris, Calif.-

Application October 12, 1946, Serial No. 702,918 2 Claims. (01. 14 l-230) This invention relates to splitter heads of the kind employed inthe lumber industry for cut-ting small strips or moldings from larger boards.

A conventional type of splitter head comprises a cylindrical head member adapted to be mounted on and rotated by a shaft or arbor in the manner of a planer head; The splitter head carries circumferentially spaced planer knives and circum ferentially spaced groups of splitter blades disposed alternately with relation to the knives and projecting radially outwardly a greater distance than the knives. The arrangement of the knives and-blades is such that upon passing a single board beneath the rotating head it is at once planed to a predetermined thickness by the planer blades and split or cut into a plurality of strip-shy the knives. Various forms of moldings or irregularly shaped strips can be out by a splitter head by grinding the knives and blades to required shapes. This is, however, common practice and the pres-- ent invention will be described and illustrated in its simpler form wherein the knives and blades are substantially straight as for the production of strips of simple rectangular cross section.

Because of the high speed. at which splitter heads are'desirably operated, it is preferable that the overall diameter be small rather than large. It is also preferable that the head carry as great a number of sets of knives and blades as possible because the speed and smoothness of the work depends upon the number of cuts iper revolution of the head. For example, a board can be fed to a six bladed head fifty per cent faster than to a four bladed head operating at the same speed without sacrificing quality of work. As each planer blade and each set of splitting knives is received within a pocket or recess formed in the head, there is a practical limit to the number of blades and knives that can be mounted in a single conventional head Without weakening the head beyond limits of safety for high speed rotary operation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a splitter head or similar tool of improved construction which enables the use of a large number of blades and knives without sacrificing compactness and strength. Another object of the invention is the provision of a splitter head of the kind referred to with a head portion made up of three parts to simplify machining operations and in which the parts are secured together in a novel manner to satisfy requirements of strength.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made:

to the accompanying drawings for a detailed disclosure of one form which the invention mayassume. l

In the drawings: 7 i Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a splitter head embodying the-present invention; l l Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofa portionof a group of splitter knives and-spacers of the is-ind employed in the head shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the head shown in Fig. 1; i i

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken onthe linei lV-IV'of Fig. 3; i l l i v Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation with parts in section. of the central or body portion of theheacl shownin'Fig. 1; and i i Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the VIVl of Fig. 5. l r

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the splitter head of the present invention is shown as made up of a central cylindrical body portion iii and end portions ii and i2 secured thereto. The cylindrical head which includes the portions H), II and I2 carries alternately and equally spaced planer blades [3 and sets of splitter knives M. The planer blades are received in slots disposed transversely of the head so that the cuttingedges project therefrom. They are held in place by gi-bs lireoeived in enlarged portions of said slots and gib screws Hi by means of which pressure is applied to the'gibs and planer blades to hold the latter in place. The splitter knives M are received in pockets together with spacers I! as shown in Fig. 2 and the pockets which hold the sets of knives l4 and'spacers IT are formed in the central portion 10 only of the head so that sidewalls for the pockets .are*provided by the end members I I and I2. "Set screws [8 (see Figs. 1 and 6) pass through the side memher I i in positions to engage the ends of the'groups of knives andspacers to hold each group securely in its pocket.

In operation a splitter head such as illustrated in Fig. 1 is mounted on a mandrel which is passed through a central opening 20 and fixed against rotation by means of keys, not shown, for which key slots 2| are provided. The head so mounted for rotation is disposed over a conventional table, and a board passed over the table beneath the head is at once planed to a predetermined thickness by the planer blades [3 and split into strips of a width line depending upon the number and arrangement of parts so that the pockets which receive the knives I4 and spacers I! may be milled in the central part III without weakening the side members H and I2. These slots are milled before assembly of the center and side members and after they are assembled and secured together the slots which receive the blades [3 and gibs [5 are milled through the entire head. Even with this construction, a headof relatively small diameter which has sixsets of splitter knives and six planer blades as illustrated in Fig. 5 is reduced in strength at its central portion because of the proximity of the slots which receive the blades and knives. It is apparent, therefore, that the tightening of the gib screws l6 toward the slots which retain the planer blades would tend to distort the head because of the proximity of the slots weakness of construction is overcome by the present invention by providing the end members H and I! of sufficient thickness that each may retain one of the three gib screws employed for securing each of the planer blades in place. Thus, while the central gib screw l6 shown in Fig. 5 is illustrated as disposed in a relatively weak portion of the'central head member I0, the two outer gib screws as shown in Fig. 1 are disposed in'the end members I I and i2 which are not intercepted byslots for receptioncf the splitter knives and are, therefore, much greater in strength.

The side members II and I2 are of necessity firmly secured in place against the central member l0 and as welding is impractical for this purpose because of its tendency to distort the metal of which the members are made, the following means are employed. Each of the side members is drilled for a plurality of shoulder screws 22 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 4) which extend into tapped holes 23 formed in the central member, The

slots which receive the planer blades and cutter knives are substantially equally spaced throughout the periphery head so that space is provided for at least one of the shoulder screws 22 between each set of blades and each knife. The shoulderscrews 22 are preferably originally in the form of a cap screw havin a head such as indicated in dotted lines at 24 in Fig. 4 so that they may be applied and tightened with a wrench. With all of the shoulder screws thus set tightly in place, the heads are removed and machined flush with the outer faces of the plates II and [2. The spacing of alternate shoulder screws 22, namely, the ones that are disposed just ahead of the planer blades is such that they are cut through or intercepted when holes are bored for reception of gib screws [6 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Consequently, these shoulder screws are positively held by the gib screws against rotation or loosening. The alternate shoulder screws frictionally held against loosening movement by the outward pressure exerted upon tightening the set screws I8 which hold the knives and spacers in place.

One of the principal advantages of the present construction is that the splitter head, produced in three parts as herein illustrated, is sufliciently strong to enable the use of a greater number of planer blades and splitter knives for a head of a given diameter. Another advantage is that the head is simple to manufacture because no pockets with closed ends have to be formed in a single piece of metal, as the closed end pockets which i receive the splitter knives are formed as slots which retain the splitter knives. This apparent v receive the splitter knives I4 in spacers I l are extending all of the way through the central portion'of the head before the sides are assembled in place.

While as hereinbefore stated, the constructionand arrangement of the planer blades and splitter knives herein described is of a simple form, it will be apparent that knives and blades of various shapes may be employed in a splitter head of this design to eifect variation in the size, number and shape of strips of moldings that are cut from a single board. I claim:

1. A splitter head of the character described,

havin a cylindrical head member made up of three separable sections, a center section and two end sections, pockets for splitter knives formed in the center section only, slots for planer blades extending through all of the sections, and gib screws carried by the end sections for securing the planer, blades in their slots.

2. A splitter head of the character described having a cylindrical head member made up of a center section and two end sections, pockets for. splitter knives formed in the center section only, slots for planer blades extending through all of the sections, said slots and pockets being alternately arranged and substantially uniformly spaced throughout the periphery of the head, and screws securing the end sections to the center section and arranged in all of the spaces between said slots and pockets and gib screws carried by the end sections for securin the planer blades in their slots and intersecting alternate pairs of the end section securing screws.

GILBERT P. KELTQN. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date- I-Iewit May 10, 1887 James- Nov. 6,1917 Walthers et a1 May 5, 1931 Misuraca Mar. 5, 1940 Number 

